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Open for Business

The Collaboratorium, on the 10th floor of 111 W. Fifth St., celebrated its official opening last week with an open house, inviting community members and leaders and potential tenants to tour the space, learn more about the center and the entrepreneurs who office there and network with other visitors.The Collaboratorium, described by chairman Sean Griffin as “a start-up to help start-ups,” has been in the works for more than a year. It’s Griffin’s brainchild, an accelerator for local entrepreneurs who sign on for a one-year lease in the space and are provided with not only desks, chairs and dry-erase boards, but also a bevy of business experts from whom they may extract advice, guidance and support for their budding enterprises.The space is nearly fully occupied with seven tenants (including Sustainable Tulsa), but Griffin said The Collaboratorium, operating under the umbrella of Sustainable Tulsa, which entered into the lease agreement with Kanbar Properties for the 10th floor of the building, has options on the ninth floor, of which he gave tours to prospective tenants at the open house.Once the 10th floor is full, The Collaboratorium will expand into the ninth floor, which can accommodate eight to 12 tenants, depending on the size of the companies.The Collaboratorium is working on partnerships with the Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Indian Chamber of Commerce to help them “take their businesses to the next level,” according to Griffin.Garrett Law donated Internet and phone service, and Up with Trees and L&M Office Furniture donated office furniture.Start-up entrepreneurs may lease office space at a discounted cost and have access to shared conference rooms, coaching opportunities, connections to entrepreneurial networks and additional resources to encourage “entrepreneurial actions and long-term success.”The Collaboratorium is still accepting applications for tenants. Applications are available at www.tulsacollab.com.